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Gourav Khullar

Publications and source records attributed to Gourav Khullar.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Discovery of Ancient Globular Cluster Candidates in the Relic, a Quiescent Galaxy at $z=2.5$

Globular clusters (GCs) are some of the oldest bound structures in the Universe, holding clues to the earliest epochs of star formation and galaxy assembly. However, accurate age measurements of ancient clusters are challenging due to the age-metallicity degeneracy. Here, we report the discovery of 36 compact stellar systems within the 'Relic', a massive, quiescent galaxy at $z=2.53$. The Relic resides in an overdensity behind the Abell~2744 cluster, with a prominent tidal tail extending towards two low-mass companions. Using deep data from the UNCOVER/MegaScience JWST Surveys, we find that clusters formed in age intervals ranging from 8~Myr up to $\sim2$~Gyr, suggesting a rich formation history starting at $z\sim10$. While the cluster-based star formation history is broadly consistent with the high past star formation rates derived from the diffuse host galaxy light, one potential discrepancy is a tentative $\sim2-3\times$ higher rate in the cluster population for the past Gyr. Taken together with the spatial distribution and low inferred metallicities of these young-to-intermediate age clusters, we may be seeing direct evidence for the accretion of star clusters in addition to their early in situ formation. The cluster masses are high, $\sim10^6-10^7~M_{\odot}$, which may explain why we are able to detect them around this likely post-merger galaxy. Overall, the Relic clusters are consistent with being precursors of the most-massive present-day GCs. This unique laboratory enables the first connection between long-lived, high-redshift clusters and local stellar populations, offering insights into the early stages of GC evolution and the broader processes of galaxy assembly.

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A Kiloparsec-Scale Stellar Cavity in the Center of Abell402-BCG May be Caused by Dynamic Interactions with an Ultramassive Black Hole

We present new observations from JWST NIRCam that reveal a striking kpc-wide cavity in the stellar distribution of the central galaxy in the cluster Abell402. Supporting data from HST allow us to rule out extinction due to dust as an explanation and, instead, suggest that this is a localized depression in the stellar density field corresponding to ~2x10^9 Msun in missing stars within a volume of 0.5kpc^3. On larger scales, both the JWST and HST data show evidence for a 2.2kpc flattened core in the stellar distribution (on which the smaller-scale cavity is superimposed), which implies the presence of a central ultra-massive black hole with M_BH = 6 +/- 4 x10^10 Msun. We report evidence for a mid-IR-bright point source at one edge of the cavity, suggesting that this black hole is actively accreting. MUSE spectroscopy reveal that this source is a LINER AGN and that there is a second candidate AGN on the opposite side of the cavity with a relative velocity of 370km/s -- if real, this implies the presence of a kpc-separation dual AGN with a total binary mass of 6 +/- 2 x10^10 Msun, which would make this the most massive binary black hole system discovered to date. We propose that this unique stellar cavity is the result of a short-lived dynamical interaction between at least one supermassive black hole and the background stellar density field, caused either by three-body scattering during binary hardening or the induction of a dipole instability in the stellar density field.

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Taking a Break at Cosmic Noon: Continuum-selected Low-mass Galaxies Require Long Burst Cycles

While bursty star formation in low-mass galaxies has been observed in local populations and reproduced in simulations, the dormant phase of the burst cycle has not been well studied beyond the local Universe due to observational limitations. We present a unique sample of 43 JWST PRISM spectra of low-mass galaxies ($M_\star < 10^{9.5}\,M_\odot$) at cosmic noon ($1<z<3$), uniformly selected on F200W magnitude and precise photometric redshifts enabled by 20-band JWST photometry from the UNCOVER and MegaScience surveys. The spectra reveal numerous strong Balmer breaks, which are negatively correlated with the galaxies' H$α$ equivalent width. By comparing these observations to synthetic samples of spectra generated using a simple parametrization of bursty star formation histories, we show that star formation in low-mass galaxies at cosmic noon is likely dominated by burst cycles with long timescales ($\gtrsim 100$ Myr) and large deviations below the star-forming main sequence ($\gtrsim 0.8$ dex). Our results suggest that galaxies in this population--at least those within our detection limits--should not be classified solely by their current star formation rates, but instead viewed as a unified population undergoing dynamic movement above and below the star-forming main sequence. The derived constraints demonstrate that long-timescale fluctuations are important for this class of galaxies, indicating that galaxy-scale gas cycles--rather than molecular-cloud-scale stochasticity--are the primary regulators of star formation variability in low-mass galaxies at cosmic noon.

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The Sunburst Arc with JWST. IV. The importance of interaction, turbulence, and feedback for Lyman-continuum escape

At present, the best opportunity for detailed Lyman Continuum escape studies is in gravitationally lensed galaxies at z >~ 2. Only one such galaxy currently exists in the literature with sufficient spatial magnification: The Sunburst Arc at redshift z = 2.37. Here, we present rest-frame optical JWST NIRSpec integral field observations of the Sunburst Arc that cover a large fraction of the source plane. From this dataset, we generate precise maps of ISM kinematics, dust geometry, ionization, and chemical enrichment. We extract a stacked spectrum of five gravitationally lensed images of the Lyman-Continuum leaking cluster, as well as an magnification-corrected, integrated spectrum of most of the galaxy, enabling a direct comparison to other LyC leakers in the literature. We find that the galaxy rotates but also shows strong, possibly dominant, signatures of turbulence, which are indicative of recent or ongoing major interaction. The cluster that leaks ionizing photons shows little variation in kinematics or dust coverage, but dramatically elevated ionization, indicating that photoionization is the predominant mechanism that creates paths for LyC escape. We conjecture that tidal stripping of H I gas due to an interaction could have removed a large portion of the neutral ISM around the LyC emitting cluster, making it easier for the cluster to completely ionize the rest.

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UNCOVER/MegaScience Finds Uniform and Highly Bursty Star Formation at 3 < z < 9, consistent with the High-Redshift UV Luminosity Function

Star formation timescales are key to understanding fundamental physics like feedback mechanisms, as well as the abundance of bright galaxies at $z>10$. We investigate galaxy star formation histories (SFHs) and their evolution across $z\sim3$--9 by measuring the line-to-UV ratio (\rline) and line equivalent width (EW) of \hanii\ and \oiiihb\ directly from UNCOVER/MegaScience spectro-photometry without relying on a specific SFH or nebular line modeling. Our photometric measurements recover \rline\ and EW to $<10\%$ systematic accuracy compared to spectroscopy. This allows us to construct a large mass- (and flux-) complete sample and quantitatively examine how \rline\ evolves with redshift and stellar mass. We find that the intrinsic scatter in \rline\ does not significantly evolve with redshift across $3 10$. This suggests that no significant evolution in star formation burstiness is required to explain the abundance of UV-bright galaxies at high redshift.

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THRILS -- The High-(Redshift+Ionization) Line Search: Program Description & Redshift Catalog

To date, many spectroscopic confirmations of z>7 galaxies have been obtained using JWST/NIRSpec prism observations, with most of their physical properties inferred from these observations and corresponding imaging. What is needed are higher-resolution spectra at deeper depths to study these sources in detail. We present The High-(Redshift+Ionization) Line Search (THRILS) program: deep (>8 hr) observations in two pointings of JWST/NIRSpec G395M spectroscopy to 1) probe high ionization spectral features in z>8 galaxies that are indicative of top-heavy initial mass functions or growing massive black holes, 2) search for accreting supermassive black holes in typical galaxies at z~4-9 through broad Balmer line emission, and 3) probe the stellar-mass growth histories of massive galaxies. We include spectroscopic redshift measurements for 89 sources from the THRILS data, as well as a detection threshold for the full and half depth integration times of the program.

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JWST & the Waz Arc I: Spatially Resolving the Physical Conditions within a Post-Starburst Galaxy at Redshift 5 with NIRSpec IFS

We present NIRSpec/IFS observations of a rest-frame UV-bright, massive ($M_* \sim 10^{10}$ M$_\odot$, $z_{AB}=20.5$) galaxy highly magnified by gravitational-lensing observed just after the end of the epoch of reionization ($z=5.04$, $\barμ\sim90$). With JWST accessing the restframe UV and optical spectrum of this galaxy with high fidelity, we classify this UV-bright galaxy as post-starburst in nature -- due to weak/absent emission lines and strong absorption features -- making this an example of a new class of UV-bright but significantly quenched galaxies being discovered in this epoch. With a median $E(B-V)=0.44\pm0.14$, we identify the presence of stellar absorption across the arc both in Balmer lines and the MgII doublet, indicative of older stellar populations dominated by A stars (and potentially B stars). Using spatially-resolved maps of rest-optical strong emission lines, we find a heterogeneous distribution of nebular metallicities across the arc, potentially hinting at different enrichment processes. With a low median lensing-corrected H$α$ star formation rate of SFR$_{Hα} = 0.024 \pm 0.001$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, we find in the most "star-forming" clumps indications of lower ionization (log$_{10}$U $\sim -3.2$), lower nebular metallicities (12+log$_{10}$O/H $\lesssim$ 8.3), and hints of higher densities that suggest a possible recent infall of more pristine (low metallicity) gas onto the galaxy. Investigating the regions with no detectable H$β$ emission, we find (for the first time at $z>5$) signatures of diffuse ionized gas (DIG). Separating DIG from HII regions within a galaxy has predominantly been demonstrated at lower redshifts, where such spatial resolution allows clear separation of such regions -- highlighting the immense power of gravitational lensing to enable studies at the smallest spatial scales at cosmic dawn.

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Tracing Structure: Shape and Centroid Deviations in 39 Strong Lensing Clusters as a Test of Cluster Formation Predictions

Strong lensing galaxy clusters provide a unique and powerful way to test simulation-derived structure predictions that follow from $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter ($Λ$CDM) cosmology. Specifically, the relative alignments of the dark matter (DM) halo, stars, and hot intracluster gas in these clusters offer insights into how well theoretical structure predictions hold. We measure the position angles, ellipticities, and locations/centroids of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), the Intracluster Light (ICL), the hot Intracluster Medium (ICM), and the Core Lensing Mass (CLM) for a sample of strong lensing galaxy clusters from the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey (SGAS). We measure the shapes (position angles and ellipticities) and centroids of these distributions using ellipse-fitting methods applied to different datasets: HST WFC3 imaging for the BCG and ICL, Chandra X-ray observations for the ICM, and strong-lensing mass reconstructions for the CLM. Additionally, we incorporate ICM morphological measures to classify the dynamical state of the cluster sample. Using this multi-component approach, we constrain the shape and centroids of these distributions in this sample and evaluate the different observable components in terms of their ability to trace the gravitational potential of their respective clusters. We find that misalignments between cluster components can be explained by astrophysical processes related to cluster assembly, relaxation, and merger histories. We find that the ICL is most closely aligned with its host DM halo, as traced by the CLM distribution, in both position angle and centroid. Additionally, we find that on average the ICL and CLM are more elliptical than the ICM and BCG.

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The Chandra Strong Lens Sample: Measuring the Dynamical States and Relaxation Fraction of a Sample of 28 Strong Lensing Selected Galaxy Clusters

We present the results of our dynamical state proxy measurements performed on 28 strong lensing galaxy clusters from the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey (SGAS). Using Chandra ACIS-I/S X-ray data supplemented with HST WFC3 imaging, we measure four morphological parameters: the concentration parameter (c), asymmetry parameter (A), centroid shift (log(w)), and the X-ray-BCG centroid separation (D [kpc]). Our goals are to (A) provide a robust classification of the dynamical state of the clusters in this strong lensing selected sample to enable studies that test various problems in cluster astrophysics and observational cosmology; (B) identify correlations, biases, or disagreements between different measurement proxies and cluster properties; and (C) measure the relaxation fraction (the fraction of clusters classified as relaxed based on X-ray morphology) and compare it to relaxation fractions from cluster samples selected using other methods. We combine the four morphological parameters into a single metric, the combined parameter M, which effectively separates the cluster sample into four dynamical state categories: relaxed; moderately relaxed; moderately disturbed; and disturbed. We find no significant trend in a cluster's dynamical state with its size, and only a weak, statistically limited dependence on mass and redshift. Based on our classification system, we find that $43\%^{+9}_{-9}$ of the clusters are relaxed, which is consistent with relaxation fractions measured for other cluster samples selected on mass-observables. This implies a strong lensing selected sample of clusters is on average dynamically similar to clusters selected via different methods.

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A Strong Gravitational Lensing Model of PSZ2 G118.46+39.32

We present the first strong gravitational lensing model for the cluster PSZ2 G118.46+39.32 (z = 0.3967) using new NIRCam imaging from the Strong LensIng and Cluster Evolution (SLICE) JWST program. We leverage the broad coverage of the SLICE ultrawide JWST filters to identify new lensed galaxies, some of which are not visible in HST, to model the cluster's mass distribution. The model was constructed with a total of 11 multiply imaged systems, decomposed into 30 images with 60 clumps used as strong lensing constraints. PSZ2 G118.46+39.32 shows a clear bimodal structure, indicating that it may be undergoing a merger. The predicted mass distribution of the model aligns with the X-ray gas in the cluster, suggesting it is in a pre-merger state.

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JWST's GLIMPSE: an overview of the deepest probe of early galaxy formation and cosmic reionization

We present an overview of the JWST GLIMPSE program, highlighting its survey design, primary science goals, gravitational lensing models, and first results. GLIMPSE provides ultra-deep JWST/NIRCam imaging across seven broadband filters (F090W, F115W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W) and two medium-band filters (F410M, F480M), with exposure times ranging from 20 to 40 hours per filter. This yields a 5$σ$ limiting magnitude of 30.9 AB (measured in a 0.2 arcsec diameter aperture). The field is supported by extensive ancillary data, including deep HST imaging from the Hubble Frontier Fields program, VLT/MUSE spectroscopy, and deep JWST/NIRSpec medium-resolution multi-object spectroscopy. Exploiting the strong gravitational lensing of the galaxy cluster Abell S1063, GLIMPSE probes intrinsic depths beyond 33 AB magnitudes and covers an effective source-plane area of approximately 4.4 arcmin$^2$ at $z \sim 6$. The program's central aim is to constrain the abundance of the faintest galaxies from $z \sim 6$ up to the highest redshifts, providing crucial benchmarks for galaxy formation models, which have so far been tested primarily on relatively bright systems. We present an initial sample of $\sim 540$ galaxy candidates identified at $6 < z < 16$, with intrinsic UV magnitudes spanning $M_{\mathrm UV}$ = $-$20 to $-$12. This enables unprecedented constraints on the extreme faint end of the UV luminosity function at these epochs. In addition, GLIMPSE opens new windows for spatially resolved studies of star clusters in early galaxies and the detection and characterization of faint high-$z$ active galactic nuclei. This paper accompanies the first public data release, which includes reduced JWST and HST mosaics, photometric catalogs, and gravitational lensing models.

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Using gravitational lensing to probe for bright quintessential galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization

Understanding the properties of the first generation of galaxies is an ongoing challenge in observational astrophysics. While advances in deep field observation have led to the identification of large numbers of galaxies within the Epoch of Reionization, there are very few observed galaxies at this range that are sufficiently bright for high signal-to-noise spectroscopy. To this end, we analyse HST and ground-based photometry of five candidate strongly lensed galaxies, all projected behind the cores of massive clusters and with similarly red optical-NIR colors. All are characterized by a drop-off in their spectra between the near-infrared and optical wavelengths, corresponding to a Lyman-break that sets a lower bound on their redshifts. Using the open-source SED modeling software Prospector, we characterize two of these galaxies as high-z (z $\sim$ 6.5-7) while the other three are low-z (z $\sim$ 2) despite all five having similar apparent magnitudes at the observed wavelengths. We demonstrate that for the brightest dropout candidates we can distinguish high-z galaxies from red or dusty low-z galaxies using limited photometric data. The bright sources enable deep constraints on the dropout color which, in combination with flat continua measured in redder bands, require high-z solutions when searching the parameter space. At the time of writing this work significantly increases the number of m_AB < 24 galaxies at or above a redshift of 6, and provides a path forward for future analysis on the early era of galaxy formation

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The z=1.03 Merging Cluster SPT-CL J0356-5337: New Strong Lensing Analysis with HST and MUSE

We present a strong lensing analysis and reconstruct the mass distribution of SPT-CL J0356-5337, a galaxy cluster at redshift z = 1.034. Our model supersedes previous models by making use of new multi-band HST data and MUSE spectroscopy. We identify two additional lensed galaxies to inform a more well-constrained model using 12 sets of multiple images in 5 separate lensed sources. The three previously-known sources were spectroscopically confirmed by Mahler et al. (2020) at redshifts of z = 2.363, z = 2.364, and z = 3.048. We measured the spectroscopic redshifts of two of the newly-discovered arcs using MUSE data, at z = 3.0205 and z = 5.3288. We increase the number of cluster member galaxies by a factor of three compared to previous work. We also report the detection of extended Lya emission from several background galaxies. We measure the total projected mass density of the two major sub-cluster components, one dominated by the BCG, and the other by a compact group of luminous red galaxies. We find M_BCG(< 80kpc) = 3.93+0.21-0.14 * 10^13Msun and M_LRG(< 80kpc) = 2.92+0.16 -0.23 * 10^13Msun, yielding a mass ratio of 1.35+0.16 -0.08. The strong lensing constraints offer a robust estimate of the projected mass density regardless of modelling assumptions; allowing more substructure in this line of sight does not change the results or conclusions. Our results corroborate the conclusion that SPT-CL J0356-5337 is dominated by two mass components, and is likely undergoing a major merger on the plane of the sky

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MINERVA: A NIRCam Medium Band and MIRI Imaging Survey to Unlock the Hidden Gems of the Distant Universe

We present an overview of the MINERVA survey, a 259.8 hour (prime) and 127 hour (parallel) Cycle 4 treasury program on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). MINERVA is obtaining 8 filter NIRCam medium band imaging (F140M, F162M, F182M, F210M, F250M, F300M, F360M, F460M) and 2 filter MIRI imaging (F1280W, F1500W) in four of the five CANDELS Extragalactic fields: UDS, COSMOS, AEGIS and GOODS-N. These fields were previously observed in Cycle 1 with 7 - 9 NIRCam filters by the PRIMER, CEERS and JADES programs. MINERVA reaches a 5$σ$ depth of 28.1 mag in F300M and covers $\sim$ 542 arcmin$^2$, increasing the area of existing JWST medium-band coverage in at least 8 bands by $\sim$ 7$\times$. The MIRI imaging reaches a 5$σ$ depth of 23.9 mag in F1280W and covers $\sim$ 275 arcmin$^2$ in at least 2 MIRI filters. When combined with existing imaging, these data will provide a photometric catalog with 20-26 JWST filters (depending on field) and 26-35 filters total, including HST. This paper presents a detailed breakdown of the filter coverage, exposure times, and field layout relative to previous observations, as well as an overview of the primary science goals of the project. These include uncovering the physics of enigmatic sources hiding in current broadband catalogs, improving systematics on stellar mass functions and number densities by factors of $\gtrsim$ 3, and resolved mapping of stellar mass and star formation at 1 $< z <$ 6. When complete, MINERVA will become an integral part of the treasury deep field imaging datasets, significantly improving population studies with well-understood completeness, robust photometric redshifts, stellar masses, and sizes, and facilitating spectroscopic follow up for decades to come.

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Deep inference of simulated strong lenses in ground-based surveys

The large number of strong lenses discoverable in future astronomical surveys will likely enhance the value of strong gravitational lensing as a cosmic probe of dark energy and dark matter. However, leveraging the increased statistical power of such large samples will require further development of automated lens modeling techniques. We show that deep learning and simulation-based inference (SBI) methods produce informative and reliable estimates of parameter posteriors for strong lensing systems in ground-based surveys. We present the examination and comparison of two approaches to lens parameter estimation for strong galaxy-galaxy lenses -- Neural Posterior Estimation (NPE) and Bayesian Neural Networks (BNNs). We perform inference on 1-, 5-, and 12-parameter lens models for ground-based imaging data that mimics the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We find that NPE outperforms BNNs, producing posterior distributions that are more accurate, precise, and well-calibrated for most parameters. For the 12-parameter NPE model, the calibration is consistently within $<$10\% of optimal calibration for all parameters, while the BNN is rarely within 20\% of optimal calibration for any of the parameters. Similarly, residuals for most of the parameters are smaller (by up to an order of magnitude) with the NPE model than the BNN model. This work takes important steps in the systematic comparison of methods for different levels of model complexity.

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DUALZ: Deep UNCOVER-ALMA Legacy High-Z Survey

We present the survey design and initial results of the ALMA Cycle 9 program of DUALZ, which aims to establish a joint ALMA and JWST public legacy field targeting the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2744. DUALZ features a contiguous $4'\times6'$ ALMA 30-GHz-wide mosaic in Band 6, covering areas of $μ>2$ down to a sensitivity of $σ=32.7~μ$Jy. Through a blind search, we identified 69 dust continuum sources at S/N $\gtrsim5.0$ with median redshift and intrinsic 1.2-mm flux of $z=2.30$ and $S_{\rm 1.2mm}^{\rm int}=0.24$~mJy. Of these, 27 have been spectroscopically confirmed, leveraged by the latest NIRSpec observations, while photometric redshift estimates are constrained by the comprehensive HST, NIRCam, and ALMA data for the remaining sources. With priors, we further identify a [CII]158 $μ$m line emitter at $z=6.3254\pm0.0004$, confirmed by the latest NIRSpec spectroscopy. The NIRCam counterparts of the 1.2-mm continuum exhibit undisturbed morphologies, denoted either by disk or spheroid, implying the triggers for the faint mm emission are less catastrophic than mergers. We have identified 8 HST-dark galaxies (F150W$>$27mag, F150W$-$F444W$>$2.3) and 2 JWST-dark (F444W$>$30mag) galaxy candidates among the ALMA continuum sources. The former includes face-on disk galaxies, hinting that substantial dust obscuration does not always result from inclination. We also detect a marginal dust emission from an X-ray-detected galaxy at $z_{\rm spec}=10.07$, suggesting an active co-evolution of the central black hole and its host. We assess the infrared luminosity function up to $z\sim10$ and find it consistent with predictions from galaxy formation models. To foster diverse scientific outcomes from the community, we publicly release reduced ALMA mosaic maps, cubes, and the source catalog.

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A Glimpse of the New Redshift Frontier Through Abell S1063

We report the discovery of two galaxy candidates at redshifts between $15.7<z<16.4$ in JWST observations from the GLIMPSE survey. These robust sources were identified using a combination of Lyman-break selection and photometric redshift estimates. The ultra-deep NIRCam imaging from GLIMPSE, combined with the strong gravitational lensing of the Abell S1063 galaxy cluster, allows us to probe an intrinsically fainter population (down to $M_{\rm UV} =-17.0$ mag) than previously achievable. These galaxies have absolute magnitudes ranging from $M_{\rm UV} = -17.0$ to $-17.2$ mag, with blue ($β\simeq -2.87$) UV continuum slopes, consistent with young, dust-free stellar populations. The number density of these objects, log$_{\rm 10}$($ϕ$/[Mpc$^{-3}$ mag$^{-1}$])=$-3.47^{+0.13}_{-0.10}$ at $M_{\rm UV}=-17$ is in clear tension with pre-JWST theoretical predictions, extending the over-abundance of galaxies from $z\sim10$ to $z\sim 17$. These results, together with the scarcity of brighter galaxies in other public surveys, suggest a steep decline in the bright-end of the UV luminosity function at $z \sim 16$, implying efficient star formation and possibly a close connection to the halo mass function at these redshifts. Testing a variety of star formation histories suggests that these sources are plausible progenitors of the unusually UV-bright galaxies that JWST now routinely uncovers at $z = 10-14$. Overall, our results indicate that the luminosity distribution of the earliest star-forming galaxies could be shifting towards fainter luminosities, implying that future surveys of cosmic dawn will need to explore this faint luminosity regime.

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